After the rain last night, the air was fresher than ever.
The dark clouds finally cleared out, giving out a mix of colors of bright blue and yellow. The wind blew,
its gentle breeze moving the leaves that had fell from last night.
Admiring the view, Lena sat in the balcony with earphones on hand, enjoying the serenity of the
moment.
Outside the green grasses, a graceful lady entered with a wide smile. Her posture was slender and thin
like a tall willow.
A handsome man sat adjacent towards her. From the way they laughed and looked at one another, one
could really feel the love that radiated from them.
They must've known each other for a very long time.
"Sorry, have you waited long?" The woman had a soft voice, like one of those violins you'd hear at the
orchestra. There was something so enchanting about her face that one couldn't simply look away.
Lena narrowed her eyes at the view below her, only to freeze at the sight of Cliff with another girl.
'Who is she?
Why is she with Cliff?'
She peered closer. There was so much gentleness in Cliff's gaze towards the woman, and from the
way they moved closer to one another, they were already very comfortable with each other's presence.
Lena staggered up, moving down the steps. She needed to find out who the girl was!
Once she reached the first floor, she was already panting. Not being able to recover much from the rain
yesterday, her condition was still weak. She leaned over the doorframe, coughing heavily.
Her face flushed red from the adrenaline that pumped in her chest as she rushed down the steps.
Upon hearing the abrupt noise, Cliff turned around, rushing over to Lena's weak body. He patted her
shoulder and asked the servants to fetch some hot water for her.
Sadness flashed in the unknown woman's eyes as she moved towards them.
"Cliff," she exclaimed, plastering a smile on her face. "Is this the woman you've been talking about?
It's just like you said. She's truly very delicate.
Nice to meet you, Lena. I'm Sherry, Cliff's friend.
I've known him since we were in primary, even went to the same schools together till college. In fact,
we've been studying abroad. He'd been taking care of me this whole time."
Sherry Mu laughed lightly, beaming at her. She had heard of Lena, obviously. The name could barely
stray from any conversation she had with Cliff. Every single time, he always found a way to bring her
up.
Lena smiled gently.
In a few seconds, she managed to control her coughing spree, wiping her red rimmed eyes.
"I'm Lena. It's nice to meet you." From the way Sherry Mu had placed it, it seemed she had a stronger
relationship with Cliff,
but so what?
Could it be deeper than the ties she and Cliff shared?
Ever since she learned how to walk, Lena had already grown up in the Huo Family. Apart from coming
back home every New Year, she always had a room here the Huo Family prepared for her.
However, no matter how sensitive Lena was with these things, she couldn't sense any malice from
Sherry's voice. It was just a matter-of-fact one from her.
So what did this woman want from her?
Lena still didn't know.
"Sherry," Cliff warned and Sherry's heart skipped a beat, bitterness pooling over her.
So just like that, he'd take her side?
Why?
Wasn't she good enough?
Wasn't she prettier than Lena?
She was talented, well-educated, rich, and had a pretty stable job. It seemed she should be much
superior than Lena.
At that moment, Sherry couldn't help but feel envious of the woman.
However, she hid it well.
"I'm sorry, Lena. It's just that we haven't seen each other in a while, and I'm always the talkative one
when it comes to this." Sherry smiled apologetically. "I hope you don't mind."
Cliff, however, didn't return her smile. His gaze was as dark as ink.
'I might as well just take it easy.'
Now that she returned, she'd have loads of chances to get Cliff for herself. And even if Lena was there,
she was confident that she'd be able to get him before Lena could.
Besides, at this point, Lena already had a boyfriend.
Therefore, Cliff must be like a brother to her.
Sherry's smile twitched at the thought. That was fine by her then.
"Not at all. It's the first time I've heard about it. I didn't expect that Cliff would have any friends other
than Hiram and Jacob.
If I hadn't met you today, I wouldn't have known you at all." She shot Cliff a playful glare. "I guess he
just wasn't a hundred percent honest with me." Although Lena wasn't sure what Sherry was trying to
say, she'd be dead if she didn't have another retort in line. Besides at this point, she couldn't care less
about the woman in front of her.
Sherry stilled at her words, her smile fading just a bit.
It never occurred to her that Lena would be so snappy. Didn't anybody teach her some decent
manners?
Given the predicament, Sherry could only wave her hands and laugh. She knew that the more she
spoke, the more mistakes she'd make.
"And when did you learn how to snap like that?" Cliff snorted, chortling as he ruffled Lena's hair. "The
housekeeper's preparing your favorite soup. Go inside.
You're still not in good condition, so you might catch a cold, okay?"
Lena took one last glance at the two of them before walking in.
Although she was drinking her favorite soup, she couldn't help but let her thoughts wander to what was
happening outside.
Who the heck was Sherry?
Was she Cliff's girlfriend?
If she were then...
Lena shook her head, letting the thought dissipate. No. Cliff was hers.
However, no matter how much she assured herself, it felt as if the shadow of envy had already grasped
its claws around her.
She just didn't like the idea of Cliff being with someone else.
Although the sweet soup was supposed to be delectable, she felt the taste go flat as every minute
passed. As Lena finished it up, she continued to look at the door.
Soon, Cliff finally returned.
"Cliff..." Lena pouted, grabbing the sleeve of his shirt and pulling him next to her.
"What's wrong Lena?" Cliff sat down next to her.
"Is Sherry your girlfriend? Will you marry her?
Cliff, I..." Lena couldn't contain herself any longer. She then looked away, choking, as she tried to
contain the tears that were about to fall out.
"My silly girl." He poked her on the forehead, as his thumb wiped away the tears on her cheeks.
"She's not my girlfriend, and she definitely won't be anytime soon. Besides, I like someone else."
Cliff was always known to keep his emotions deep in his heart.
‘It’s not Sherry?’
Lena grinned at the thought. However, it seemed as if the battle wasn't over.
"Then, who is it? Who's the lucky girl?"
Cliff could only stare at her, not saying another word.
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